1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an end cap for closing one end of trunking for routing electrical conductors or cables, the end cap comprising a closure part for closing the interior space of the trunking and a fixing part for fixing it to the back of the base section of the trunking.
The invention finds a particularly advantageous application to closing the end of a kind of trunking with small dimensions also known as a molding.
This kind of end cap is intended to protect the end of the trunking against impact and most importantly to protect persons from the electrical current flowing in the conductors inside the trunking.
The two functions are combined when it is required to prevent the insertion of foreign bodies such as wires, pins or screwdrivers into the base section of the trunking.
The end cap also has an esthetic function, in particular to provide a harmonious transition between the cover section closing the trunking and the closure part of the end cap and between the outside surface of the trunking and that of the support to which it is fixed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The above type of end cap of is disclosed in French patent 2 738 960, in particular. The fixing part is applied to the back of the base section of the trunking and has preferably oblong openings for nails which pass through the base section.
In the case of the kind of trunking with small dimensions also known as a molding, it is difficult to drive in the nails.
It requires the use of a hammer with access to the back of the base section of the trunking, which is not always easy, and it often happens that a hammer blow damages the lateral flanges of the base section of the trunking or molding.
To remove the above drawback, the present invention proposes an end cap for closing an end of trunking, the end cap including a closure part for closing an interior space of the trunking and a fixing part for fixing it to a back of a base section of the trunking, wherein the fixing part includes a chimney for inserting a nail, which chimney is substantially perpendicular to the back of the base section and has a height substantially equal to the depth of the base section.
The top of the chimney of the fixing part of the end cap according to the invention is therefore flush with the tops of the lateral flanges of the base section of the trunking, which limits the stroke of the hammer and protects the lateral flanges of the base section.
Other, non-limiting and advantageous features of the end cap according to the invention are as follows:
the fixing part includes a lug adapted to be applied to the back of the base section of the trunking and from which a chimney projects;
the fixing part includes two substantially parallel lugs adapted to be applied to the back of the base section of the trunking and from each of which a chimney projects; this arrangement is particularly advantageous in the case of trunking or a molding with two longitudinal compartments, each fixing lug being fixed into the back of one of the compartments of the trunking;
the lugs can have on facing inside longitudinal edges facing recesses of complementary shape forming a housing for fastening the fixing part to the base section of the trunking by means of a fixing member such as a plastics material wall plug;
the recesses are preferably part-circular; this arrangement of the inside longitudinal edges can be used only with a molding with a single compartment, in which the two lugs of the fixing part of the end cup in accordance with the invention would be positioned;
each lug is connected to the closure part by a connecting part;
the chimney is at the junction of the lug and the connecting part;
in a first embodiment, the connecting part is an extension of the lug itself;
in a second embodiment, the connecting part has two branches extending from one end of each lug on each side of its longitudinal edges and the branches form a kind of fork connecting the lug to the closure part;
in a third embodiment, the connecting part is a tongue extending generally obliquely between each lug and the closure part;
in a fourth embodiment, the connecting part is a tongue which extends in the heightwise direction relative to each lug between an outside wall of the chimney and the closure part; in this case the connecting part can extend in a plane parallel to that of each lug and substantially at the height of an upper end of the chimney;
in a fifth embodiment, the connecting part is a massive part which has a bottom surface flush with a bottom surface of each lug and a top surface substantially flush with a top end of each chimney;
the connecting part is preferably an elastic part allowing slight movement of the closure part relative to the fixing part when fitting the end cap to the base section of the trunking;
the elastic part connecting each lug to the closure part has a corrugated shape forming a spring;
the closure part can have a closure wall and a cover portion adapted to cover an end of a closure cover section of the trunking;
either the closure wall and the cover portion of the closure part can be molded in one piece from one or more plastics materials, or the closure wall and the cover portion of the closure part are two separate components fastened together and the closure wall is fastened to the fixing part of the end cap;
the fixing part and the closure part of the end cap can be molded in one piece from one or more plastics materials;
each lug of the fixing part has at its free end an orifice through which a fixing screw can pass into the base section of the trunking.